Tag: Jill Andrews

You Gotta Hear This: New Music From Cristina Vane, Shelby Means, and More

Posted on by Justin Hiltner

Now, our premiere roundup is pretty stellar each and every week – if we do say so ourselves – but this week feels especially excellent!

Below, you’ll find a slew of bluegrass song and video premieres. First, check out “Paris” by Aaron Burdett (a longtime rootsy singer-songwriter and recent addition to the Steep Canyon Rangers), who took an offhand comment about one of the world’s most-visited cities and turned it into a song. Greensboro, North Carolina, string duo Chatham Rabbits bring a track from their brand new album, Be Real With Me, which released today; it’s called “One Little Orange.”

Multi-instrumentalist and singer Jesse Smathers – who you may know from the Lonesome River Band – releases his solo debut today, as well. It’s his version of “Sleepy Eyed John” that draws inspiration from his friend, banjo player Gene Parker. Plus, Grammy Award winner and in-demand bluegrass bassist Shelby Means is also stepping into the spotlight with her first-ever solo music, “Streets of Boulder,” a burning heartbreak track which features her Golden Highway bandmates Molly Tuttle, Kyle Tuttle, Bronwyn Keith-Hynes, and even more names you’ll recognize.

In a similar sonic space, Cristina Vane previews the title track for her upcoming album, Hear My Call, with an official video for the song. It’s an old-timey number built around clawhammer banjo with a tinge of blues and a dash of Americana – and it also features the inimitable Molly Tuttle. Folk duo Edie Carey & Sarah Sample can be found below as well, returning to their late 2024 release, Lantern in the Dark: Songs of Comfort and Lullabies, with a new video for its title track, “Lantern.”

To round us out, just in time for Valentine’s Day Hudson Mueller shines on his new track, “Love Is Love,” which celebrates love in all its forms and no matter who may be its recipient or subject. And Jeremy Dion has a bit of adoring tunnel vision on “All I See Is You,” a song with a video that celebrates all of the love and loved ones in his life.

It’s a full slate of impeccable roots songs and videos! You know what we think… You Gotta Hear This.

Aaron Burdett, “Paris”

Artist: Aaron Burdett
Hometown: Saluda, North Carolina
Song: “Paris”
Release Date: February 14, 2025
Label: Organic Records

In Their Words: “I like shiny things, new things. I always think that new thing is going to make something different. It does, but just for a few moments, and then I’m the same and everything around me is the same. There wasn’t any real change, I only distracted myself briefly. ‘Paris’ is a song about yearning, looking outside of oneself, and hoping there’s more out there in some exotic place. It might be the next town down the road or the big city two states over, or maybe even somewhere across the mountains and an ocean. I hear a longing in this song now, but I also hear hope. My bandmate Barrett said ‘I’ve got a feeling about Paris’ a couple years ago during a soundcheck at the Bijou Theater in Knoxville, and when I heard that, I did what I do and I wrote it down. That line grew into this tune.” – Aaron Burdett

Track Credits:
Aaron Burdett – Vocals, acoustic guitar
Kristin Scott Benson – Banjo
Carley Arrowood – Fiddle
Tristan Scroggins – Mandolin
Jon Weisberger – Upright bass

Edie Carey & Sarah Sample, “Lantern”

Artist: Edie Carey & Sarah Sample
Hometown: Colorado Springs, Colorado (Edie) and Sheridan, Wyoming (Sarah)
Song: “Lantern”
Album: Lantern in the Dark: Songs of Comfort and Lullabies
Release Date: October 18, 2024 (album); February 14, 2025 (video)
Label: Groundloop Records

In Their Words: “Written by our friends and Nashville songwriters Dustin Christensen and Jill Andrews, ‘Lantern’ was a song that Sarah brought to the table. Sarah and Dustin are longtime friends from the Salt Lake music scene and he played a major role as a musician and harmony arranger on our first album in 2014. We both fell in love with the melody, the message, and the harmony possibilities for this tune. It’s a song that says, ‘I’ve got you, no matter what.’ The ascending bridge sounds like someone stepping out of wreckage after a disaster, blinking their way back into the light: ‘Shadows falling / Sirens calling / I’ll be holding on to you.’ We didn’t originally intend for the album title to come from this song, but it was the perfect symbol for what we wanted this record to be: a light in the dark for when you’re feeling lost; a beacon to guide you back to the familiar and remind you that you’re never alone along the way.” – Edie Carey & Sarah Sample

Track Credits:
Edie Carey – Vocals, baritone acoustic
Sarah Sample – Vocals, acoustic
Dustin Christensen – Acoustic
Maren Gayle – Keys

Video Credits: Directed by Rachel DeWeber.

Chatham Rabbits, “One Little Orange”

Artist: Chatham Rabbits
Hometown: Greensboro, North Carolina
Song: “One Little Orange”
Album: Be Real With Me
Release Date: February 14, 2025

In Their Words: “My maternal grandfather Ronald holds a mythic place in my mind. He died from years of drug and alcohol abuse when I was just a kid. I only have one memory of him and it’s what I wrote the song about. I think it’s only natural to want to know more about your blood relatives as you get older. My genetics and personality are tied to those that came before me and I want to know as much about them as possible. My grandfather is no different. This is a song about trusting the limited memory you have, accepting that you’ll have to live from stories instead of the real thing, and recognizing that people can be both troubled and full of life.” – Sarah McCombie

Jeremy Dion, “All I See Is You”

Artist: Jeremy Dion
Hometown: Boulder, Colorado
Song: “All I See Is You”
Album: Bend in the Middle
Release Date: October 18, 2024 (album); February 14, 2025 (video)

In Their Words: “This is my favorite video to make so far and it welcomes the viewer all the way into my personal life. Since ‘All I See is You’ is a love song, I wanted to provide an unvarnished view of my own current experiences of love. Viewers will see some beautiful shots of nature juxtaposed with recently captured images of my home, my daughter, my husband, my dog, and some of my closest friends. It gives me warm fuzzies every time I see it and I hope it has the same effect on everyone.” – Jeremy Dion

Track Credits:
Jeremy Dion – Guitar, lead vocals
Kate Farmer – Backing vocals
Christian Teele – Percussion
Bradley Morse – Bass
Kyle Donovan – Guitars
John McVey – Guitars
Enion Pelta-Tiller – Fiddle

Video Credits: Shot and produced by Daniel Herman, Mineral Sound.

Shelby Means, “Streets of Boulder” (Featuring Molly Tuttle, Kyle Tuttle)

Artist: Shelby Means
Hometown: Folly Beach, South Carolina
Song: “Streets of Boulder” (Featuring Molly Tuttle, Kyle Tuttle)
Release Date: February 14, 2025

In Their Words: “I wrote this song in college. It was my first attempt to write a heartbreak song and it became the first original song I performed in a band. In 2008, I was asked by my professor of world music to assemble a bluegrass band to represent the United States at an International Folk Music contest in Nitra, Slovakia. I formed High Altitude Bluegrass band and taught them ‘Streets of Boulder.’ Courtney Hartman, Sterling Masat, Reid Buckley, and my brother, Jacob Means, played in that band and helped create the instrumental line that is repeated throughout the song.

“I really wanted Jacob to play mandolin on this recording and he did a great job in the studio with Jerry Douglas, Bryan Sutton, Ron Block, and Bronwyn Keith-Hynes. I invited Molly Tuttle and Kyle Tuttle to sing harmonies with me and we spent one afternoon in a hotel room with Ethan Standard, our front-of-house engineer, recording the harmony vocals. That room sounded pretty darn good! After a few years of touring together we have developed a unique vocal blend and I think it suits this song perfectly. ‘Streets of Boulder’ has been performed live a handful of times with Molly Tuttle & Golden Highway over the 2024 Down the Rabbit Hole tour.” – Shelby Means

Track Credits:
Shelby Means – Lead vocal, bass, songwriter
Bryan Sutton – Guitar
Jacob Means – Mandolin
Ron Block – Banjo
Bronwyn Keith-Hynes – Fiddle
Jerry Douglas – Dobro
Molly Tuttle – Harmony vocals
Kyle Tuttle – Harmony vocals

Hudson Mueller, “Love is Love”

Artist: Hudson Mueller
Hometown: Houston, Texas
Song: “Love is Love”
Album: Welcome to Earth
Release Date: February 14, 2025 (single); March 28, 2025 (album)

In Their Words: “This is a love song – but not just about the romantic kind we typically celebrate on Valentine’s Day. It’s about radical inclusivity. We each get to define love for ourselves and decide who it applies to. Love can extend to neighbors, friends, and even those who may not look, think, or believe as we do. This song was inspired by my friends Bird and Carsten. We were lucky enough to attend two of their three wedding celebrations (parties) in New York and Germany. Each was a beautiful tribute to the bond between two incredible souls who just happened to share the same gender. Initially, the song leaned more into its LGBTQ+ theme, with a verse about Carl and Steve, Joan and Janet. But in the end, that felt a little too on the nose. Still, the sentiment remains: ‘Find the place where your love ends and then extend love just a little bit more.'” – Hudson Mueller

Jesse Smathers, “Sleepy Eyed John”

Artist: Jesse Smathers
Hometown: Floyd, Virginia
Song: “Sleepy Eyed John”
Release Date: February 14, 2025
Label: Mountain Home Music Company

In Their Words: “My friend Gene Parker, the legendary banjo player of Lost & Found legacy, inspired my version of ‘Sleepy Eyed John.’ Originally written by Kentucky fiddler Tex Atchison and made a hit by country singer Johnny Horton, I wanted to give this fun, bouncy number a suitable mountainous string band flavor. I hope you enjoy listening to it, as much as I did picking and singing it!” – Jesse Smathers

Track Credits:
Jesse Smathers – Guitar, lead vocal
Hunter Berry – Fiddle
Corbin Hayslett – Banjo
Nick Goad – Mandolin, harmony vocal
Joe Hannabach – Upright bass
Patrick Robertson – Harmony vocal
Dale Perry – Harmony vocal

Cristina Vane, “Hear My Call”

Artist: Cristina Vane
Hometown: Nashville, Tennessee
Song: “Hear My Call”
Album: Hear My Call
Release Date: February 21, 2025

In Their Words: “‘Hear My Call’ was written on tour and is the title of my album as well, because I feel that it reflects this refocused sense of purpose and intention I was channeling both in my life and in the writing of this record. It’s an assertion, a shift from my constant role of observer to someone with something to say herself. Molly Tuttle sings and plays guitar on the track and she lends such a stunning flair to it, I’m so grateful for her mastery!” – Cristina Vane

Photo Credit: Cristina Vane by Stacie Huckeba; Shelby Means by Hunter McRae; 

MIXTAPE: Jill Andrews’ Soundtrack for the Making of ‘Modern Age’

Posted on by Justin Hiltner

I wrote the songs for Modern Age over a period of a few years. It was a time of reflection. I was looking back on my past, because I had recently gone back to my hometown to sing at a childhood friend’s memorial service. I’m normally a present and future thinker, but this gave me the opportunity to sit with my past for a bit and spend time remembering. I walked around my old neighborhood and drove by my high school. I sat in my car at the park that my friends and I used to go to after school to talk and hang out. The songs that came were a mixture of simple, joyful childhood memories juxtaposed with the beauty and heaviness of adulthood. I listened to quite a bit of music over this period of time. Most of the songs that I was drawn to had beautiful melodies, lush production, and very descriptive lyrics. Here are a few of my favorites. – Jill Andrews

“Beauty Into Cliches” – Madison Cunningham

I first heard this song on the Cayamo cruise, which is a music cruise that sails through the Caribbean. I was a featured artist on the ship, as was Madison. I love the way Madison calls out the beauty standards of our society in this song. As a female artist, this feels especially poignant. There are extra pressures to look and act certain ways in the music industry. Madison’s lyrics are creating space for everyone. Not only is it a positive message, the melody is lovely and the rhythm is so vibey.

“Nightflyer” – Allison Russell

Allison and I run in some of the same circles in Nashville, so when I heard she was putting out an album I immediately checked it out. I was drawn to this song for the obvious reasons, the melody and overall vibe are gorgeous and, in addition, the descriptive nature of her lyrics really made me feel like I was in the same room with her. She uses all of her senses to let the listener in. It’s so descriptive and sings like a poem. “I’m the melody and the space between. Every note the swallow sings. I’m 14 vultures circling. I’m that crawling, dying thing…”

“Pressure Machine” – The Killers

The desperation of this song gets me every time. It describes hard living in a small town in such a visceral way. “A mattress on a hardwood floor. Who could ever ask for more? I’ll get up and cut the grass. Ain’t nothing wrong with working class.” I have listened to this song over and over. It always hits me in a new way. The melody is so delicate and gorgeous.

“First Time” – Becca Mancari

“I remember the first time my Dad didn’t hug me back. Under the porch light with my sister’s old cigarettes. With your hands hanging to your side and my face to your chest.” I love Becca’s description of this moment. It’s so sad and so beautiful. After I heard this song, I messaged Becca and asked her if she would sing on Modern Age. We had met a few years prior, but didn’t know each other well. She ended up singing on three of the songs: “80’s Baby,” “Kids,” and “Better Life.” She is such a talent.

“Teenage Drug” – Ethan Gruska

The production of this song is really cool. It feels very alive, the way that it moves and breathes. I love how the melody follows the instrumentation in the chorus. I first heard this song on a playlist when I was jogging. I kept coming back to it over and over.

“Chemicals” – Gregory Alan Isakov

I played a show that Greg was on a few years back with Hush Kids. When I saw him live, I fell in love with his music. I have listened to his album, Evening Machines, hundreds of times since then. “Chemicals” is my favorite song on that album. I love the lines, “You saw her bathing in the creek. Are you jealous of the water?”

“The Night We Met” – Lord Huron

I first heard Lord Huron play this song at Forecastle Festival in Louisville, Kentucky, a few years ago. I had just gotten done performing and I wandered to the nearest stage to see who was playing. Seeing it live got me hooked. This song feels like a dream. I think it’s a mixture of the heavy tremolo on the electric guitar and the vast reverb on his vocals that capture this dream-state so perfectly. The lyrical theme of wanting to go back in time sits so nicely in this vibe.

“Slow Burn” – Kacey Musgraves

I love the vast soundscape on this song. The album Golden Hour is such a good example of music blurring the genre lines in whatever way feels natural to the artist. These songs could have been produced in a traditional country format, but instead she and producers, (and buddies of mine!) Daniel Tashian and Ian Fitchuk, decided to take it a totally different, interesting way. This was incredibly inspiring and helped guide my way of thinking during the making of Modern Age.

Photo Credit: Fairlight Hubbard

LISTEN: Jill Andrews, “Dark Days”

Posted on by Editor

Artist: Jill Andrews
Hometown: Johnson City, Tennessee
Song: “Dark Days”
Label: Vulture Vulture/Tone Tree Music

In Their Words: “Often when I’m confronted with something painful in a relationship, I go into self-protection mode where I hide instead of face the issue at hand. I wrote this song about a specific circumstance where this reaction of mine felt like abandonment to the other person and sent us off into different corners, each feeling alone and misunderstood. This song is my way of trying to revise history and make amends with it. It’s also a promise that I will always try to walk alongside him even on his hardest days. Over the past few years when I’d sit down to write, old memories would flood in, distant smells and visions. At first I dismissed them but they kept coming day after day. Eventually my writing sessions became more of a meditation, with me sitting quietly on the couch listening for ideas flowing from some seemingly magical and unconscious place. I am so excited to be releasing new music this year, stay tuned for much more.” — Jill Andrews

Photo Credit: Fairlight Hubbard

LISTEN: Hush Kids, “Weatherman”

Posted on by Editor

Artist: Hush Kids (Jill Andrews & Peter Groenwald)
Hometown: Nashville, Tennessee
Song: “Weatherman”
Album: Weatherman EP
Release Date: September 24, 2021

In Their Words: “During the spring of 2020, when we were in lockdown, it rained, poured really, for days, maybe even weeks. My husband Jerred has lived most of his adult life in dry arid places and he wasn’t used to it. He would look outside almost every day, saddened by the dark sky and soggy earth. He would say, ‘This place just never stops. It’s like a rain forest.’ I always like to put a silver lining on things so my response was usually something like, ‘I guess that’s why it’s so green and beautiful here.’ But the sunless days can take their toll on the best of us, and I could tell that he was feeling down as the rainy days and tumultuous weather wore on.

“All of this was on my mind that day last spring when I got together with Ian [Fitchuk, the duo’s producer] and Peter to write for the next Hush Kids record. We sat on Ian’s back porch and caught up for a long time, enjoying being in each other’s presence so much because it had been a while since we’d last seen each other. This one came easily to us and I think we all cried a little when we were writing it. I’m so happy that we can share it with you guys today! I hope that your days are sunny even when the rain is pouring down.” — Jill Andrews

“This was the first song I had written in person for maybe eight months. We were on a porch, it felt kind of weird, but we trusted each other. Jill said she had an idea, and I believe she sang what is now the first line of the song. I tend to have a look on my face when I think something is amazing, and it actually looks like I’m disgusted… food, art, music… it’s more of a look of disbelief that something can be that good. That’s how I looked when Jill shared this idea with us.” — Peter Groenwald

Photo credit: Nathan Zucker

The String – One Year With Covid

Posted on by Chris Jacobs

It’s been a year since the music industry slammed to a halt due to Covid-19. Performing artists had to adjust financially, logistically, emotionally and more.

LISTEN: APPLE PODCASTS

Now with a year’s hindsight, The String sought out a sampling of roots musicians to hear how they coped. Many found unexpected gifts. Some started new businesses. Everybody learned a lot about themselves and their field.

Featured: Kyshona Armstrong, Jill Andrews, Tim Easton, Robert Greer, Molly Tuttle, Rob Ickes, Doug and Telisha Williams, Garrison Starr, Sarah Jarosz, Suzanne Santo and Jerry Pentecost. With music by all.

 

WATCH: Jill Andrews, “The Kids Are Growing Up”

Posted on by Editor

Artist: Jill Andrews
Hometown: Johnson City, Tennessee; currently Nashville, Tennessee
Song: “The Kids Are Growing Up”
Album: Thirties
Label: Vulture, Vulture / Tone Tree

In Their Words: “I snuck away one day during my daughter’s nap to write ‘The Kids Are Growing Up.’ My son and daughter are seven years apart and everyday in both of them, I saw this theme personified. She was tiny in my arms just like he used to be. I wrote it as a reminder to myself to slow down and try to be present for the important moments, the ones that really matter. The video comes from ten found film reels donated to the Prelinger Archives in San Francisco. Nobody knows who the family is but based on the footage they lived in the St. Louis area. In the video, you see a family go through marriage, birth of their first child, raising children, holidays, marrying off their first child, and then their first grandchild being born. It so perfectly fits the theme of the song. I truly cannot believe that the filmmaker, Nathaniel Maddux, found the footage and that this family kept such amazing archives of their lives. He said he really hopes that someone sees the video and lets us know who they are!” — Jill Andrews

Photo credit: Fairlight Hubbard

BGS Podcast Roundup // April 24

Posted on by Shelby Williamson

Another week, another podcast roundup. From bluegrass, to dreamy jazz classics, to Montreal cuisine, we’ve got options.

Make sure to follow along on our social media [Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram] and right here, where we’ll consistently gather our new releases, as well as some past favorites:

Toy Heart – Béla Fleck

On the latest episode of Toy Heart, Béla Fleck talks to host Tom Power from his home studio and for the first time, he tells his story in bluegrass.

Fleck started out in New York hearing Earl Scruggs for the first time, learning from Tony Trischka, and then making the decision to go (new) south to learn from J.D. Crowe. He auditioned for Bill Monroe, but eventually found ‘his people’ and joined New Grass Revival. He tells of mistakes the band made along the way, the hard decision to leave that band and start the Flecktones, recording with his hero Earl Scruggs, and how he found his way back to bluegrass after all.

He also unveils the one change he thinks anyone can make to their practicing to become a better musician.

The Show On the Road – Kat Edmonson

Initially turning heads for her dreamy and futuristic interpretations of great songbook classics like Gershwin’s “Summertime,” which have been listened to over ten million times and counting, Kat Edmonson broke through with playful original works a decade ago, self-producing one of Show on the Road host Z. Lupetin’s all-time favorite records, Take to the Sky. She quickly found powerful fans in folks like Lyle Lovett, who she toured with wildly. Major label releases followed. Edmonson soon migrated from her home state of Texas to Brooklyn, with her elfin chanteuse look and sparkling vintage sound (think Blossom Dearie with some Texan muscle).

Z. and Edmonson sat down to discuss her newest record, Dreamers Do, which may just be the shot of pure cinematic nostalgia we all need right now. Does she cover Mary Poppins, Alice In Wonderland, and Pinocchio and somehow make them deeply cool, sonically subversive, and somehow brand new again? She sure does.

The String – Jessi Alexander and Jill Andrews

This Spring, many of the outstanding women of roots music have released new albums, and this past week on The String, Craig Havighurst caught up with two of them.

Jessi Alexander, native of Jackson TN, moved to Nashville at 18 and landed songwriting and record deals. She’s a hitmaker behind the scenes who rarely surfaces with her own heartfelt country music, but she sure does so on Decatur County Red, anchored in stories of her Tennessee coming-of-age.

Jill Andrews is more urbane and silky in her sound, but the personal journey she shares on her album and book Thirties is full of challenges and the clarity that comes with time and triumph.

The Shift List – Chef John Winter Russell (Restaurant Candide) – Montreal

On the latest from The Shift List, a two-part conversation with John Winter Russell, chef and founder of Restaurant Candide in Montreal. While host Chris Jacobs caught up with Russell via phone post-COVID-19 restrictions in Part 1, Part 2 was recorded a few months back, before the world was thrown into chaos, and it serves as a reminder of how integral chefs and independent business owners are in shaping the culture of our cities.

Restaurant Candide is named after 18th century writer/philosopher Voltaire’s book of the same name, inspired particularly by the last line of the book: “Let us cultivate our garden.”

This line is the guiding force to Russell’s food, as he works closely with producers local to Montreal and creates four-course meals inspired by those ingredients, crafting dishes that are produce forward, but not exclusively vegetarian.

The experience of eating at Restaurant Candide is unique and only something that can be experienced in Montreal. From the restaurant’s location, set in an old gothic church basement, to the warm interior that utilizes refurbished pews, and exposed brick along the walls that look into the kitchen. The restaurant is a defining part of the fabric of Montreal’s restaurant scene, not only in 2020, but overall.

Thankfully, Russell feels that he and his staff will weather COVID-19 and should be able to resume business at the restaurant once restrictions are lifted, and in the meantime he’s given back to restaurant workers affected by job losses in Canada by offering beer deliveries every Friday. If you live in Montreal and are craving some craft beer delivered to your house, send an email at [email protected]. All proceeds will go to the Montreal Restaurant Workers Crisis Relief Fund.

 

The String – Jessi Alexander and Jill Andrews

Posted on by Chris Jacobs

This Spring, many of the outstanding women of roots music have released new albums, and here we catch up with two of them.


LISTEN: APPLE PODCASTS

Jessi Alexander, native of Jackson TN, moved to Nashville at 18 and landed songwriting and record deals. She’s a hitmaker behind the scenes who rarely surfaces with her own heartfelt country music, but she sure does so on Decatur County Red, anchored in stories of her Tennessee coming-of-age. Jill Andrews is more urbane and silky in her sound, but the personal journey she shares on the album and book Thirties is full of challenges and the clarity that comes with time and triumph.

BGS 5+5: Jill Andrews

Posted on by Editor

Artist: Jill Andrews
Hometown: Raised in Johnson City, Tennessee; lives in Madison, Tennessee.
Latest album: Thirties
Personal nicknames: Jerry, Jilly, Jer

What’s your favorite memory from being on stage?

I don’t know if this is exactly my favorite, but it stands out to me as the strangest. I was at a venue in Asheville, North Carolina, playing in my old band, the everybodyfields, and there was a guy in the audience who was standing directly in front of the stage staring me down like I was his prey. In the middle of one of our slow sad ballads, he climbed onto the stage, and made a beeline for me. Just as he got within kissing distance of my face, he suddenly veered off in another direction as if being guided by some invisible puppeteer.

He was headed for a huge pile of stacked chairs in the corner of the room. He proceeded to climb them. When he was nearing the summit, they began to sway beneath him, until they could no longer withstand the weight of his body. They toppled with a loud crash and he toppled with them, all grunting and snorting. Keep in mind, this was in the middle of one of our songs. The whole room was silent. We kept singing. He was escorted out and the show went on. Apparently the whiskey was a little strong that night.

If you had to write a mission statement for your career, what would it be?

Be yourself and follow your vision.

Which elements of nature do you spend the most time with and how do those impact your work?

I love to walk in the woods. I find it to be the most peaceful place. I find energy in discovering things just below the surface of the dirt or high up in the trees. I bring that energy back home with me and it resurfaces in many creative forms: metaphors, memories, and new ways of thinking.

Since food and music go so well together, what is your dream pairing of a meal and a musician?

My favorite food is sushi. I love how vibrantly colored and how perfectly assembled it is. I love the spice of the wasabi and the sweet bite of the ginger. I think a good musical pairing with sushi would be The Flaming Lips, circa Yoshemi Battles the Pink Robots. Sushi and The Flaming Lips are both full of fanfare. There is intentional joy crafted into both presentations; confetti explosions accompany one while flavor explosions accompany the other. There is room for dreaming with both.

How often do you hide behind a character in a song or use “you” when it’s actually “me”?

Hardly ever. My songwriting basically consists of me putting my journal entries to music. I have always written from a very personal perspective. For some reason, vulnerability is where I feel most comfortable.

Photo credit: Fairlight Hubbard

BGS 5+5: Hush Kids

Posted on by Editor

Artist: Hush Kids (Jill Andrews + Peter Groenwald)
Hometown: Peter – La Grange, Illinois; Jill – Johnson City, Tennessee
Latest album: Hush Kids
Personal nicknames (or rejected band names): Peter Butter and Jilly. Peter: P-Train, Pizza Man. Jill: Dill, Jer, Jerry, Poi, Jilly.

What’s the toughest time you ever had writing a song?

There are some things that I feel deeply but have a hard time writing about. In this case I’m either protecting myself, or protecting the subject from a song that I don’t think would do the subject justice. I started a lullaby for my daughter before she was born. After many hours on many days of working on this song, it is still unfinished. She is 4.5 years old. She is precious. I wish I could be a little less precious with the damn song so she could actually hear it while she still likes me to sing her to sleep. — Peter

If you had to write a mission statement for your career, what would it be?

Follow the muse wherever it leads — other people’s opinions be damned. — Jill

What rituals do you have, either in the studio or before a show?

I pace a lot, especially in the studio when writing. It’s the way I can shake things up if I feel stuck. I’ll leave the room and walk around. It often helps me find perspective for a missing line or a necessary change in direction. Until recently, I used smoking for short breaks from the room. Although my walkabouts are probably disruptive to some, they’re healthier for me! — Peter

Which elements of nature do you spend the most time with and how do those impact your work?

I live on about 17 acres, 10 of which I mow once a week. It takes a lot of time, and can cause anxiety when it’s looming above a full schedule. But, once I actually start the process, there’s nothing to do but think and look around. Sometimes that time helps clear my head, sometimes it makes it busier, but either way it seems necessary and not up to me. Also, there is something powerful and charging about routinely tracing the same path on every walkable foot of our land. The dips and bumps become more familiar and less hazardous. — Peter

Since food and music go so well together, what is your dream pairing of a meal and a musician?

I once watched Weird Al Yankovic play at a State Fair while eating a turkey leg. Made sense to me then. — Jill

Photo credit: Fairlight Hubbard